In a mobile telecommunication network like a UMTS system, a primary station, for instance a Node B (or Base Station or eNB) communicates with at least one secondary station, for instance a User Equipment (or Mobile Station), by means of a plurality of channels. In order to transmit data to the primary station, a secondary station needs to request a resource to the primary station, which is then allocated. This request of allocation can be made by several ways depending on the considered channel.
In an example, in order to request a resource, it is required to indicate the amount of data to be transmitted, i.e. the data in the buffer of the secondary station. To this end, the secondary station transmits to the primary station a buffer status report indicative of the amount of data in the secondary station buffer. Thus, the primary station allocates a resource corresponding to both the capability of the network and the amount of data to be transmitted. This permits to adjust the allocation of resource.
However, in the current version of the specification, when a secondary station transmits this buffer status report, and receives no positive acknowledgement, it performs retransmission till reception of a positive acknowledgement or till the number of retransmissions reaches a maximum number. In the latter case, the secondary station has not been heard by the primary station and will not receive a resource grant for a long period. This leads to a significant delay, the secondary station no longer having any means to indicate its buffer status to the primary station.